President Names New Faith-Based & Community Initiatives Director
Remarks by the President and Jim Towey in Announcement of the New Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
The Roosevelt Room

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Thank you, all;
please be seated. Well, welcome to the Roosevelt Room in the White
House. We're honored you all came; thanks for being here.

I know all of you are here today to be a part of a great cause, and
that is how best to serve our neighbors in need and to serve our
community and our country. It really is to help change
America, one heart, one soul, one conscience at a time.

Our goal is to rally all Americans to our cause -- I mean all
Americans. And I'm proud to have an outstanding man in Jim
Towey to join me on this cause. First, I want to welcome the
Towey family -- all of them. (Laughter.) Mary,
Jamie, Joe, Max and John. Welcome, guys.
(Applause.) And I'm glad mom is with
us. Florence, welcome, sure glad to have you here.

And I want to welcome Your Eminence, Cardinal Bevilacqua; sure good
to see you, sir. I've had many a good heart-to-heart visit
with His Eminence and I've always come away a better person after
having visited with him. Thank you for being here. And I
want to thank everybody else for being here, as well.

A year ago this week, I announced one of the most important
commitments of my administration, the Faith-Based and Community
Initiative. The purpose was to apply the compassion of America to help
solve the problems of our country.

The purpose of this
initiative recognizes the power of faith in helping heal some of our
nation's wounds. The purpose of this initiative is to rally
the armies of compassion which are spread throughout the United States
of America. The purpose of the initiative is to recognize
our greatest strength -- the hearts and souls of the American people --
and apply that strength to help solve problems which afflict many of
our citizens.

Since the attacks of September the 11th, it has become obvious to
everyone how essential the community and faith-based groups are to the
well-being of our nation. They have saved
lives. They provide hope. They have helped heal
the nation's wounds.

We have a tremendous opportunity now to take the spirit and apply
it to problems like poverty and addiction, abandonment and abuse,
illiteracy and homelessness. These are incredibly tough
problems. But I believe with the help of faith we can solve
the problems. I have faith that faith will work in solving
the problems.

For the past year, the Office of the Faith-based and Community
Initiatives has done a terrific job. And I'm proud of the
folks that worked in the office.

And today, I'm honored to name Jim Towey as its new head and new
director. He has served a Republican senator and a
Democratic governor. He understands there are things more important
than political parties. And one of those things more
important than political parties is to help heal the nation's
soul. He's run a statewide Department of Health -- in other
words, he's an administrator. He also worked with Mother
Teresa for more than a year -- for more than a decade.

He brings to the job managerial skills and a servant's
heart. He will be a great director, and I look forward to
working with him to advance a bold initiative.

In the next year, Jim will work to eliminate barriers that
discriminate against community and faith-based
organizations. Government cannot stand in the way of the
good works of the people in our neighborhoods.

Government
must expedite and stand on the side of faith-based
programs. We should not discriminate at the federal level
against people who are trying to help us solve the nation's problems.

He'll work closely with members of Congress from both parties to
pass legislation that will put government squarely on the side of our
faith- and community based groups. Jim will have the full
support of a new Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Community
Initiatives, in which he will participate along with five Cabinet
secretaries and Steve Goldsmith, the Chairman for the Corporation of
National and Community Service.

The Council will be chaired by USA Freedom Corps Director John
Bridgeland. I was proud to announce "Bridge" two days ago
when he made his national debut, and I must say he handled the pressure
quite well. (Laughter.)

But he's a good fellow, who along
with Jim is going to make an enormous difference about fulfilling a
vision that I truly believe is going to help America help herself; is
truly, going to believe, lift the spirit of this
country.

After all, that's my job. My job is to
unify our country around common, big goals, and there is nothing more
important than to help the hopeless see hope, to help the addicted see
a better life, to help the collective will of our country to have a
better tomorrow, realize its potential.

I'm so proud that Jim has decided to join our team. I'm
grateful for your sacrifice to your country. I love your
heart. America will be better off by your
service. Welcome. (Applause.)

MR. TOWEY: Thank you very much, Mr.
President. I'm deeply grateful to God and to you, sir, for
entrusting me with this honor to serve my country, particularly those
Americans who are hurting and in need. It's been my
privilege to work with the poor and to see firsthand the difference
that charities and faith-based organizations can make in their lives.

Mother Teresa introduced me to this joy that comes from befriending
those in need, and discovering their tremendous dignity. You
speak often of this same dignity, Mr. President, and your vision, both
for the USA Freedom Corps and for our office, is unleashing new armies
of compassion that will change countless lives, both of those who serve
and those who are served.

I look forward to working with John Bridgeland and the fine staff
of the Faith-based and Community Initiatives Office. As we
press ahead with your agenda, sir, I am delighted, I am grateful, and I
am looking forward to the work, sir.

Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT: Good job, Jim; thank
you. Thank you all for coming. (Applause.)